Posted in: 2023

196. After Snorting Crank for Three Days

My guest today is Mary Beth O’Connor. She’s a retired judge now, but in January she published a personal memoir that was far from legalese. The title kind of covers it: From Junkie to Judge: One Woman's Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction. The language is frank and the story has got compelling built in.
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Mary Beth's Website
https://junkietojudge.com/

The Book
https://www.amazon.com/Junkie-Judge-Womans-Triumph-Addiction/dp/0757324568/

Posted in: 2023

193. Foster Parent, Lawyer, and Writer

My guest today is Debbie Ausburn, who says that she makes a living as a lawyer but what she does with her life is, as she puts is, “take care of other people’s children.” In fact, children, and especially at-risk children, are the focuses of many aspects of her life—as a foster parent and a stepmother, but also as a now former federal prosecutor of child abuse and violent crimes. The circle was of love and care got created recently as she and her husband found themselves raising the child of one of her former foster children. Debbie published a book a couple of years ago called Raising Other People’s Children, and we talk about it and her extraordinary volunteering.
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Debbie’s Website
debbieausburn.com/

Debbie’s Blog
debbieausburn.com/blog

Debbie’s Book
amazon.com/Raising-Other-Peoples-Children-Parenting/dp/1578268990/

Posted in: 2023

137. Memoir of a Female Doctor and Immigrant to Canada

My guest is Gigi Microys, who is now a retired family physician. She graduated from the University of Toronto Medical School in 1963, and has held academic positions as teacher in the departments of family medicine. She has written and lectured about physician health, the medical marriage, and women in medicine. She published her memoir, A Journey Through Medicine: Memoirs of a Female Immigrant, in 2019. Gigi lives in Ottawa with her husband, a retired structural engineer. 

Posted in: 2022

80. Memoir, Storytelling, and Engaging the Audience

My guest for this episode is Mark W. Travis, a film and video director, and author of the #1 bestselling book Directing Feature Films as well as The Film Director’s Bag of Tricks. People call him the “director’s director,” because he has trained and guided directors, writers, and actors on how to bring their stories and characters to life. His focus is always on storytelling and characters, and he's able to read each artist, re-aligning them with their unconscious creative intentions, and so elevating their stories and performances. I was kind of blown away by my conversation with Mark. He is extremely knowledgeable and insightful about his craft, and my interview itself turned out to be a mini-lesson in film for me. Please have a listen to this outstanding practitioner and teacher.